grateful

adjective

grate·​ful ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce grateful (audio)
1
a
: appreciative of benefits received
b
: expressing gratitude
grateful thanks
2
a
: affording pleasure or contentment : pleasing
b
: pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated
gratefully adverb
gratefulness noun

Examples of grateful in a Sentence

The voice quacking at the other end of the line sounded surprised and grateful—a young man's eager voice, thankful for the sudden interruption on an otherwise empty afternoon. Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1992
I didn't have to be in love with the man to do this, and my poor body'd probably be grateful to get fed, since it'd been on such a starvation diet. Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale, 1992
Sergeant James Smith was a company clerk, which meant that he carried his commander's maps, Edwards was grateful to learn. Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising, 1986
I am grateful for the Latin I took and for the emphasis on English grammar, which seems to have faded from the curriculum. John Updike, Hugging the Shore, (1983) 1984
The college sent us a grateful acknowledgment of our donation. I'm grateful to you for your help. He's grateful for the attention.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Director Shu Qi is grateful that the team appreciates the film. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 July 2025 Warner was grateful that The Cosby Show was filmed in New York, not Los Angeles. Victoria Edel, People.com, 22 July 2025 For her part, Miller is grateful for the chance to adopt a special dog like Culver. Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025 The experience of going viral and generating so much attention online has certainly been a whirlwind, but Niehaus couldn't be more grateful to have been a part of this wild ride. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for grateful

Word History

Etymology

obsolete grate pleasing, thankful, from Latin gratus — more at grace

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of grateful was in 1552

Cite this Entry

“Grateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grateful. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

grateful

adjective
grate·​ful ˈgrāt-fəl How to pronounce grateful (audio)
1
a
: appreciative of benefits received
b
: expressing gratitude
2
: giving pleasure or contentment : pleasing
gratefully adverb
gratefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grateful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!